Meenakshipuram conversions: Dalit leader’s thesis well argued

“People having contradictory opinion on the findings of the study can do another study to establish their point,” stated vice chancellor.

Tirunelveli: The Dalit leader and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan’s doctoral thesis on “Religious conversion of Menakshipuram Dalits” as per the abstract of the study has established that religious conversion of Meenakshipuram Dalits has not created anything positive in their economic life,” said the vice-chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU), Dr K Baskar. The research having been done as per the UGC norms, the thesis submitted for doctoral degree to MSU could not be withdrawn, he added.

“People having contradictory opinion on the findings of the study can do another study to establish their point,” stated the vice chancellor.

Thol Thirumavalavan was only another research scholar for the University, where he had registered the topic 16 years ago in 2002 with Prof Chokalingam as his research guide, he noted.

Moreover the study on the topic was also done under the guidance of a senior criminology professor of Madras Law College.

During the viva-voce held on August 25 he had well defended his study based on which the university has issued him the provisional certificate for his PhD, clarified the vice chancellor, Dr Baskar, explained that as per the abstract of the study, the researcher had established that the conversion has not done anything positive to the economic life of the 180 Dalit families who converted.

As the submission of the thesis got delayed since the registration was done in 2002, the MSU, two years ago had issued an

ultimatum for Thirumavalavan to complete his doctoral thesis that led to the completion of the study this year, according to Dr Baskar, who added that the 284-page thesis would be uploaded on the website, ‘Shodhganga’, a reservoir of Indian theses and dissertations in an month for the public to read it.